The results of my first taste test were inconclusive. (Sorry, I have watched Forensic Files a lot lately) I decided to get another box of food from each company to get a better sample. And to eat. I am happy to report that the second offerings from each company were much better. In fact, the second taste test did not really help me narrow down which company is better at all. The first time around on Plated, I chose 3 meals for $72. The second time, I decided to try two meals and a dessert which was $56. I actually oddly felt this was a more reasonable price. I think the biggest negative with Plated is that it is just pricey and some of the meals are more expensive than going out. This may not be a good option for a large family or a family on a strict budget but there is definitely a market for this product.
Crispy Tamarind Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice
Sorry for the horrid lighting. I started with the Crispy Tamarind Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice because it looked delicious.
We started out with some chicken breasts. They had originally gave me chicken breasts with the skin on but somehow I got it mixed up with some other chicken I had. I don’t think it changed the recipe that much except I did not have crispy skin. Anyways, I let them sit for a bit while I prepped the other ingredients.
I chopped veggies for the rice.
Made the chicken marinade/sauce. I could not get the tamarind paste to dissolve all the way, which was fine because the parts that didn’t dissolve became carmelized in the pan.
Oh–I guess I forgot their were peas, too.
At this point I put the chicken on the stove with the tamarind sauce under a piece of foil. Somehow I missed that step. While the chicken was enjoying its time under the foil, I softened up my veggies in sesame oil.
And by some of it didn’t dissolve, I meant like all of it.
While the chicken finished off, I added rice, soy sauce and sriracha to my veggies and fried it off for a bit.
Yumbers! This dish was seriously so good. I don’t even need to rank it to tell you that it was delicious. The flavor and style of dish was what I expected every dish to be. It was really simple to make and the flavors were just spot on. My only complaint is that I felt the rice called for too much soy sauce. When I make this in the future, I will add the soy sauce conservatively.
Pork Banh Mi with Sriracha Mayo and Shallot Jam
The next dish from Plated was the Pork Banh Mi with Sriracha Mayo and Shallot Jam. This recipe was not as good as the Tamarind chicken but was still pretty good. I just had a few minor issues, namely the fish sauce and the meatballs.
Per usual, I start with prepping the veggies. We’ve got scallions, basil, mint, onion, lime and rind.
First we make the meat balls. I don’t know why but this slab of ground pork just made me laugh.
I mixed it with onions and half of the scallions.
I formed the pork and put them in the oven. I also put the bread in to get a little toasty. While these guys were cooking, I got started on my two sauces.
The first was my sandwich based mayo, I added mayo, sriracha, scallions, juice of lemon and rind.
It looked like Thousand Island but tasted nothing like it.
Then I made the shallot jam with fish sauce, sugar and shallots. There may have been another liquid in there but at this point I almost lost it. The smell of the fish sauce was horrible. As soon as it hit the hot pan, oh lord, it was a olfactory assault. Now, when I finally got the courage to try the jam, it tasted fantastic BUT I could still smell the fish sauce. Even days later, I smelled the fish sauce.
I assembled by slathering on the mayo, next a layer of basil and shredded carrot (they gave me pre-shredded carrot thank god!), then my meatballs and I topped it all off with the shallot jam.
I also made one for the next day! Let me tell you, I love Banh Mi. This was great but their were two flaws. The meatballs were dry. Thankfully they were small, so it is not like I was getting mouthfuls of dry meat but on occasion, a bite would be hard to swallow. The second issues was the fish sauce. Oh lord. I just don’t think I could do it again. So, while I will definitely use the recipe again I will need to find a few substitutes.
Brûléed Apricots with Ginger Whipped Cream
I will be honest, I was most excited for this desert. Since I am lactose intolerant, I have to skip many heavy deserts like ice creams and creamy pies. So this desert, with just a little bit of cream was right up my alley.
First I grated the ginger which was seriously a pain in the ass. Next time I will throw it in the magic bullet.
I then cleaned and halved the apricots. They looked so delicious, I almost ate one.
I arranged the apricots on the pan with a bit of butter and brown sugar. I will admit I added more from my own butter and brown sugar stock. I mean, a little more never hurt anyone.
While the apricots were “bru-lay-ing” I made the whipped cream. I think I needed stiffer peaks because my whipped cream did not set well.
These bad boys looked delicious.
Um, look at that brûlée.
As soon as I put the whipped cream on the still hot apricots, it just deflated.
So I basically had apricots and cream. That being said, those apricots were BOMB! Like, I would eat them any day. The ginger in the cream provided a great balance to the sweetness of the apricots, so it was definitely needed, but even just dipping it in the melted cream was delicious. Confession–I ate all 8 in one sitting.
These three dishes totally raised my view of Plated. I would gladly make all three of these dishes again and am looking forward to it.
But, was that enough to make it my favorite?
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored by Plated and I did not receive anything in exchange for this review.
Shake it Katie 